Answerman
The Search Begins!
Welcome to the newest installment of Answerman. This week, I'll be starting a new contest in which one of you lucky otaku out there can become “Son of Answerman”, which is kind of like being Jesus, only minus the cool powers and legions of followers. Whoever correctly answers the questions at the bottom of this column first gets to answer half of the questions next week. your name. will be prominently displayed in the column. This is a great way to show off how much you know, make a name for yourself, earn bragging rights, and do half of my work for me.
Well, not so much the last part.
Anyway, onward to this week's letters:
Hi! Well, got a couple of questions that I really hope you could answer me. First been hearing for some time that Maho Tsukai-Tai! was coming to America, what happened to that, did they change their minds or something? Another question, are there any plans to release Gate Keepers in America, that series seems so cool, and it's from the same guys that did Blue Sub 6. Third, have any idea of the series that are coming to American television this year, I heard something about Kenchin and Magic Knight Rayearth and even Slayers, any of that true? And last, but not least, know where I can find both the original and english lyrics for the song the guy on top was talking about (in the column of this week), the Yū Yū Hakusho: Poltergeist Report song that plays at the end of the tape released by CPM, that song is my fav and would like to know what they are saying. Well, thanks for your time, hope you can answer my questions.
John
Despite the long delays, Mahou Tsukai Tai, the OVA and the TV series, will both see a home video release this spring from Media Blasters. They've taken a long time with this one, and I hope they do a good job. It's perhaps one of the most under appreciated anime in existence, and the fanbase for it is very small, despite how good the show is. Bandai has the rights to Gate Keepers, and while they haven't announced it yet, I expect that they will within the year. The digital fansubbing that had been done on the show has stopped, and people now have to rely on a commercial release to see the rest of the show (Unless someone else decides to subtitle the rest of the series.). The rumors you heard about Kenshin and Rayearth being on TV are just that, rumors - but Slayers will be on Fox Kids this spring, in the usual dubbed and edited format. I wonder how they'll handle the bust size jokes that litter the series…
As for that Yuu Yuu Hakusho song, it's called “Sayonara wa Iwanai”, and it was recorded by the band PERSON Z. I couldn't find lyrics for this song - if anyone knows where to find these lyrics, send the link to me and I'll pass it along to John. Otherwise, you have a starting point now - good luck!
Hey,
My inner dork child is more excited about the 3rd Tenchi Muyo OVA than the Lord of the Rings movies (well, maybe not MORE excited....) Anyway, my question is: how soon will we get to see it here in America? I know it's still in pre-production, but I can't wait! How long does it take to make a 30-minute OVA episode, and what'll be the lag time between the Japanese and the U.S. release? I know most anime takes about two years to make it over, but if memory serves Pioneer is usually pretty quick about it, and won't they want to export it ASAP with Tenchi being bigger than ever in the U.S.?
-Mike
The third Tenchi Muyo! OVA series is being produced by a race of metallic spiders from outer space known only as the Grimthak'nor. You can obtain a copy from them in exchange for your first born son and 3 tanks of oxygen.
No, seriously, nothing at all is known about the 3rd Tenchi Muyo! OVA series. Once they announce an OVA series, typically it sees release anywhere from 6months to a year after they officially announce it - but they may rush this one given the extreme level of demand. There isn't even a Japanese release date yet, much less an American one. As far as how long it'll take to bring the series over, I imagine we'll see a quick turnaround on it, given how popular it is here. Just be patient, it'll be here soon enough.
Here's a simple question for you...where the heck is Memories? This Katsuhiro Ōtomo movie has never been released in America on either VHS or DVD...what's up with that? I saw it years ago in Japanese with no subtitles, and loved it..I'd love a subtitled version, but nobody seems to have it on their schedules. With Roujin-Z, Perfect Blue and soon Akira already out, you'd think this would be on the way.
-jason
Memories is the movie that time forgot (Pun intended). Rumors flew for years that Manga had licensed this excellent film, and it was all but nailed down.... Until it was revealed that Manga, in fact, didn't have the film at all. No major companies have made any announcements on this film in the last few years, and it's a real tragedy. Most anime fans and foreign film fans alike consider Memories to be one of the true masterpieces of animation in recent history, and I hope that eventually it sees a theatrical and DVD release in the US. If you can't wait, though, there's a Region 2 DVD of this film that comes with excellent English subtitles. It'll run you upwards of 100 dollars, but trust me, it's worth it - seeing Magnetic Rose with a perfect digital transfer in surround sound is a prize worth paying for.
hi
1) Are they planning on releasing any new episodes of Kenshin? It would be a waste not seeing the Enishi saga on animated form.
2) What about golden boy any new episodes beyond 6?i would love to see more episodes of it,but i heard that it wasnt a success in japan is that true?
Thanx for your time!
Apparently, they're restarting Sailor Moon, but not Rurouni Kenshin. I agree with you in that the Enishi saga should be animated, and given the popularity of the series, it's a possibility, but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. The TV series ran 94 episodes, with the 95th episode available on Laserdisc only - usually when a series that long ends its run, they shut it down forever. But, keep an eye out - it may happen one day. As for Golden Boy, it was a 6-part OVA that was, indeed, much more popular here than it was in Japan. It's getting pretty old now and interest in it has all but completely faded, so I wouldn't expect any new Golden Boy episodes to be produced.
Hey whats up? Love the article! Brings me up to speed with everything anime! But I got a question. I was recently reading online that there are indeed 2 Carrcaptor Sakura movies. Is there any plans for any company to release it? Oh yea, and how can Manga have the rights to the EVA movie when ADV owns the rights to the sereis? Are they to seperate properties or something? Thanks!!!!!
There are 2 Card Captor Sakura movies. The first movie, released in the fall of 1999, was a huge success in Japan and was recently bought by Warner Bros., to be released in the States sometime this year as “Cardcaptors: The Movie” (Presumably using the same dub cast as the American TV release of the series). The second film, “Enchanted Cards”, wraps up the TV series completely and played in Japanese theaters last summer. It hasn't been acquired yet but I imagine that it will be soon, since the show is catching on in America.
As for the Eva Films, the series and the movie are two separate properties. ADV opted not to buy the film, because of the cost, and Manga stepped up to the plate. Typically, series and movies are sold as package deals, but not in this case. The cost of the Eva Films was too much for ADV to bear, so expect a release from Manga before the end of the year.
Dear AnswerMan,
I'm a big fan of Gasaraki. I only have one problem with the series, I've been told it's jam-packed with alot of Japanese mythology. The extras on the DVD try to explain some of this, but they don't succed.
I'm a little confused about the whole thing. I was wondering if you happened to know anything about it.
Also, I've heard Right Stuf holds the US license to Kare Kano. I was wondering if you had any idea as to when they plan to release it. Will they release the DVD version along with the VHS version?
Finally, I was wondering about Blue Gender. Does FUNimation plan to hack (edit) like they have done to previous shows?
Sincerely,
Jesus Montes
P.S.
PLEEEEEEASE post my letter on
ANN's website ^_^ ,V,,
Gasaraki is indeed stuffed to the brim with confusing references, but most of them were made up by the writers of the show. Check out the DVD liner notes that came with the show, or the web site ADV has put together.
Right Stuf does hold the license to Kare Kano, and they've announced a Spring 2001 release date for the series. They've also said that the DVDs will be released alongside the VHS tapes. We'll see if they stick to that.
FUNimation has stated that they'll be releasing Blue Gender straight to video. I still think they'll hack the show up; The show is violent, dark, brooding, and in some parts, fairly sexual, and FUNimation doesn't have the best track record in the world. We'll have to wait and see, I suppose.
What happened to Escaflowne?? I've been trying to find out why Fox took it of the air. Granted 7/10 it wasn't as good as the original but I thought the story was still pretty good and the quality wasn't too bad.
-Chenise
Escaflowne got yanked because it wasn't pulling in the ratings Fox wanted. You're right, the hack and dub job on that series wasn't too bad - honestly, I thought it was the best I'd seen on US TV in a long while. Unfortunately (Or fortunately, depending on your position on the issue) Fox learned the hard way that shows made for adults in Japan don't really translate well into American children's shows. Next time maybe they'll license something that's actually intended for children.
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, the trivia questions to determine who will be next week's “Son of Answerman”. I've tried to come up with questions that touch on a wide array of topics; classic anime, modern anime, mecha, magical girls, etcetera and so on. Here we go:
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In the Gainax OVA series FLCL, Haruko claims that Naota is dead in a very (blank) manner. What does this expression mean? Name the expression and explain what it means.
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In the OVA series Otaku no Video, What famous mecha/battleship stands at the entrance to Otakuland, what series is it from, what version of it is present at the entrance, and where was that version used most prominently?
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In the TV series Revolutionary Girl Utena, bitter rival Saionji is expelled from Ohtori Academy. Why was Saionji expelled, and who did he shack up with afterwards?
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In Maison Ikkoku, nobody knows what mysterious tenant Yotsuya does for a living. According to the television series, what is Yotsuya's profession?
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Name Kenshin's final succession technique and what the conditions were to learn it.
Alright folks, whoever sends me the most accurate answers first wins the coveted “Son of Answerman” position and gets to write for next week's column. Good luck!
Thanks to Cybersox13 for his corrections to this column. Remember, folks, the Answerman is not infallible and mistakes are easy to make; if you spot an error in this column, let me know right away so I can fix it. Thanks again!
Got a burning question that you can't seem to answer? Maybe the Answerman can help you! Contact the Answerman at [email protected] (answerman at animenewsnetwork.com) with your questions!
